Last 5 Indian players to win Man of the Match on Test debut - Where are they now?
India played their first home Test of the 2021/22 season against New Zealand over the last five days in Kanpur. However, neither of the two teams could win and the match ended in a thrilling draw.
There were many talking points from this game. One of them was the impressive performance of debutant Shreyas Iyer. He scored a century in his first Test innings and followed it up with a fifty. The two knocks helped him win the Man of the Match award on Test debut.
Fans should note that Shreyas Iyer is not the first Indian to win the Man of the Match award on Test debut. He is the first Indian to do so this decade, but before him, there have been six more players.
On that note, we will look at the last five Indian players to have won Man of the Match on Test debut before Shreyas Iyer and where they are now.
#1 Prithvi Shaw - 2018
Opening batter Prithvi Shaw won the Man of the Match award for his century on Test debut against the West Indies team in 2018. Shaw made his Test debut against the Caribbean outfit in Rajkot.
He scored a magnificent 154-ball 134 to help India register a big win. Shaw smashed 19 boundaries on his Test debut, but he could not cement his place in the team. The right-handed batter has played only five Tests for India so far.
#2 Rohit Sharma - 2013
Like Prithvi Shaw, Rohit Sharma won the Man of the Match award on Test debut against West Indies. In 2013, Rohit played a 177-run knock against the Caribbean side in Kolkata to help India win the Test.
Sharma is now the captain of the Indian T20I team and the vice-captain in ODIs. He has cemented his place in the Test team as an opener.
#3 Shikhar Dhawan - 2013
Most runs for India in Debut Test
187 - Shikhar Dhawan
177 - Rohit Sharma
170 - Shreyas Iyer*
156 - L Amarnath
138 - Abbas Ali Baig
137 - G Vishwanath
136 - Virender Sehwag
#INDvsNZ
Shikhar Dhawan started his Test career against Australia in 2013. The left-handed batter scored 187 runs in his first Test innings in Mohali.
Dhawan was once India's top opener in all three formats. However, he is no longer part of the Indian Test and T20I teams.
#4 Ravichandran Ashwin - 2011
Ravichandran Ashwin is the third Indian on this list to have made Test debut against West Indies and won the Man of the Match award.
The right-arm off-spinner took nine wickets in the Delhi game in 2011, that included a six-wicket haul in the second innings. Ashwin is still an important member of India's Test team. He returned to the T20I team for the T20 World Cup 2021. The Tamil Nadu player became India's most successful off-spinner in Tests earlier today.
#5 RP Singh - 2006, Only Indian pacer to win Man of the Match on Test debut
🇮🇳 players winning MoM award in Test debut:
Pravin Amre (1992)
RP Singh (2006)
Ravi Ashwin (2011)
Shikhar Dhawan (2013)
Rohit Sharma (2013)
Prithvi Shaw (2018)
Shreyas Iyer (2021)*
#INDvsNZ
RP Singh is the only Indian fast bowler to have won the Man of the Match award on debut in Test cricket history. The former Indian pacer made his Test debut against Pakistan in Faisalabad in 2006.
He picked up a four-wicket haul in the first innings and took one wicket in the second innings of the match that ended in a draw. RP Singh has now retired from all forms of cricket and works as a commentator.